Sunday, August 21, 2005

Return to Sydney
I finally arrived back in Sydney at midnight last night after a long bus journey. I was feeling a bit sad as it meant the end of my east coast adventure, but I was also happy to be able to have a bit of familiarity back.
So in the last 5 weeks, I've covered approx 6000 kilometres, I've visited 17 locations (including 3 islands) been to about 20 beaches, slept in god knows how many different bunk beds, and met lots of great people. I've really had the time of my life on this trip, I've seen and done so many things I could only have dreamed of. I've taken steps to conquer my snake phobia by holding all sorts of reptiles (definitely my bravest moment!), I've sailed around the Whitsunday islands and seen the most beautiful beach (Whitehaven) ever, I've seen whales at close range.. dolphins too, I've had a surfing lesson, I've mustered cattle, I've snorkelled on the Great Barrier reef, swam in waterfalls, the list goes on and on!!
So now it's back to reality for a while. I'm staying with Sue and Grant, who are kindly putting me up for a couple of nights, then next week I'm moving to stay with some friends at Coogee beach for a couple of weeks until I get a place of my own sorted out. Then it's time to look for another job :-( but I really do need to as I've spent an absolute fortune over the last 5 weeks, oh well, it's going to be nice to feel a bit settled again and to be with my friends, and I've got my Ayers Rock trip to look forward to, that's in just over a week, can't wait for that.... although it'll mean sleeping in a hostel again! and I won't be travelling on my own this time.... my friend Sue is coming, so it's going to be really good!
It was so nice to sleep in a room of my own last night, it really does take it out of you sleeping in dorms after a while. I read a funny article in a magazine the other day, it said if you find yourself ever missing the travellers life, just ask a member of your family to set an alarm clock to go off at random times in the night and rustle around in plastic bags, ask your brother to steal your wallet from time to time, and get your sister to sleep in the bunk above you with her new boyfriend. The last 2 luckily I didn't experience, but the first one is sooo true....I definitely won't be missing that, I curse whoever invented plastic bags!

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